Any ideas on who this little critter is? Seen at base of Muldoon. He looked huge and scary when I was there... he doesn't seem to look quite so enormous in the photographs. Just wondering whether he might be venomous?

I think you are looking at a black house spider (Badumna insignis). Rectangular head, round abdomen, funnel-shaped web. Body up to 2cm long. Bites are rare but can cause a general reaction. Feeds on flying insects and builds a lacy web, with funnel-shaped holes, above the ground. Native to Australia!

Males, when ready to mate, go in search of females. The male plucks the web of the female to attract her attention. Once the male has made sure that the female will be receptive, he will approach and inseminate her with his palps. They may then stay together for several days, and may mate again several times.

Just looks like a normal black house spider(they don't just live in houses). It will bite like most spiders if threatened. Not venomous. The red back is really classed as the only Victorian venomous spider that could, in specific circumstances cause a fatality. (Although in my case, this obviously wasn't the case) All those nooks and crannies in the rocks around Araps where you find those little webby tunnels - most likely these guys.

... There is another possibility, but I would need to see a close detail pic to verify that it may be the female of the (common name) mouse-spider species. The males are easily recognised by having a red head and generally being a large spider, but the females are nondescript black and can be much bigger.
Mouse-spiders are closely related to the Funnel web species and highly venomous. They are known to be at Araps, and prefer leaf litter habitat (can also be found in rocky areas and in trees!).

On 30/01/2013 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:>... There is another possibility, but I would need to see a close detail>pic to verify that it may be the male of the (common name) mouse-spider>species. The females are easily recognised by having a red head and generally>being a large spider, but the males are nondescript black and much smaller.>>Mouse-spiders are closely related to the Funnel web species and highly>venomous. They are known to be at Araps, and prefer leaf litter habitat>(can also be found in rocky areas and in trees!).>
I did wonder about it being a mouse spider. Doesn't seem to have the same shape as those little black house spiders.

On 31/01/2013 Groveller wrote:>On Sunday I was bitten/stung by a small ant while belaying on D Minor at>Arapiles. My arm swelled up a fair bit for 3 days. Popeye keeps saying>it was a jumping jack ant but it looked too small.
Many years ago I was climbing in a fairly hard to get to spot in the Gramps with couple of mates when one (Tom Daniels) was stung by an ant. Almost had a full on anaphylactic reaction, really scared the shit out of me, poor bugger looked like elephant man.